In this quick Blender 2.5 tip we show you how to use Blender’s theme options to customize the interface to your liking. Blender allows you to change anything from the color and outline of interface items to the shading on buttons to the window background color. After giving you a rundown of the many different options we go on to show you how to use the Theme Manager Add-on, developed by Bart Crouch, to save and load custom themes.

Particles are lots of items emitted from mesh objects, typically in the thousands. Each particle can be a point of light or a mesh, and be joined or dynamic. They may react to many different influences and forces, and have the notion of a lifespan. Dynamic particles can represent fire, smoke, mist, and other things such as dust or magic spells. Static particles form strands and can represent hair, grass and bristles. This video tutorial will teach you how to set up a basic particles system, and go over some of the associated options.

This video guide tells you all you need to know about the basic of Blender 2.5 Materials. Materials and textures are one of the most important tools in any 3D package. A superb mesh object will still look like a grey plastic toy without good textures. Yet materials and textures can be one of the most challenging aspects of the design process. Blender, like many other comprehensive 3D suites, has a vast array of tools that can help you create virtually any material either in reality or beyond. However, to the Blender beginner it can appear overwhelming. This documentation is designed to take you rapidly from no, or little knowledge, to the point where you can confidently create materials to your needs.

In the final part of his hi-res flame setup, Gottfried Hofmann, the man behind the official Blender smoke/fire documents, continues his look at smoke and fire simulation techniques within Blender 2.5 by adding in the scene camera and compositing together the final product. Prepare to be amazed at just what Blender can do for free!